Defense contractor Williams International Co. LLC is set to make a $344.5 million investment in Pontiac to grow its aerospace engineering and future manufacturing operations at what was once an active multi-lot film production studio.

The company will purchase four parcels in the city, including the Michigan Motion Picture Studios LLC movie building, 1999 Centerpoint Parkway, as well as an old General Motors site at 2100 Opdyke Road and over 100 acres of adjacent vacant land.

Williams International, which develops and manufactures small gas turbine engines, intends to retrofit the old studio into a new 200,000 square-foot headquarters and highly-automated manufacturing facility, leaving behind its current Commerce Township operations while expanding in Pontiac.

The relocation of the headquarters will initially bring 400 jobs into the city by 2018 with plans for 900 new jobs in Pontiac by 2022.

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An 800,000 square-foot to one million square-foot manufacturing facility is planned for the 120-acres of vacant land adjacent to the property while 2001 Centerpoint will be transformed into a facility to house manufacturing processes and office space, according to a briefing memo from the Michigan Strategic Fund.

A representative for Williams International declined to offer comment on the investment.

The deal hinged on the approval of a renaissance zone tax incentive and a performance-based grant for the project. Williams International was considering two other sites for the development, one in Alabama and one in Utah. The company was approved for a $4 million performance-based grant by the Michigan Strategic Fund on Tuesday, June 27 as well as a 15-year abatement on all property taxes for the sites.

Nevrus Nazarko, finance director for Pontiac, stated in a memorandum that the development could reach as high as $1.5 billion in investment with 1,589 employees by 2034.

Through negotiations on a development agreement with Pontiac, Williams International has agreed to spend no less than $150,000 annually on workforce development and job training in the city, Pontiac Mayor Deirdre Waterman said.

“I’m happy this process has been completed, Pontiac certainly participated in making sure that the package for Williams International was done in a prompt manner to enable them to start the process of eight-years of economic development, which is a huge asset for Pontiac,” Waterman said.

“The aerospace industry which has been established elsewhere is coming to Pontiac in a big way. We’re pleased in this economic development and the stature of Pontiac to be able to attract a variety of emerging and stable industries.”

In a recent survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, Michigan ranked second for aerospace manufacturing attractiveness, according to a release from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, bringing in nearly $1 billion in annual sales.

Commerce Township Supervisor David Scott also weighed in on the relocation.

“I would be sad to see them leave. They have been a long-standing member of this community. Hopefully there is something that changes that allows them to remain in Commerce Township,” Scott said.